Are Basic Materials Stocks Lagging Iamgold (IAG) This Year?

Company Performance - Iamgold (IAG) has gained approximately 47.8% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the Basic Materials sector, which has returned an average of -4.5% [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IAG's full-year earnings has increased by 623.7% over the past 90 days, indicating improved analyst sentiment and a stronger earnings outlook [6] - Iamgold currently holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting its strong earnings estimates and revisions [8] Industry Context - Iamgold is part of the Mining - Gold industry, which consists of 40 companies and currently ranks 45 in the Zacks Industry Rank. The average gain for this industry is 11.7% year-to-date, showing that IAG is performing better than its peers [3] - Another company in the Basic Materials sector, International Paper (IP), has also outperformed the sector with a year-to-date return of 19.6% [9] - The Paper and Related Products industry, to which International Paper belongs, is ranked 48 and has seen a gain of 10.5% this year [10]